Dental cleaning attachment



Dec. 12, 1961 R. R. MILLER 3,012,253

DENTAL CLEANING ATTACHMENT Filed Nov. 19, 1959 34h 35 34a 52 r- INVENTOR RALPH R, MILLER ATTORNEYS 3,012,263 DENTAL CLEANING ATTACHMENT Ralph R. Miller, 6730 Lakeside Drive, Charlotte 5, N.C. Filed Nov. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 854,143 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-28) This invention relates to a dental cleaning attachment for motor-driven electrical appliances, and more particularly to an accessory for electrically operated razors and i the like motor-driven devices, the attachment being especially useful for cleaning and brushing the teeth and dentures and massaging the gums. 1

It has been proposed heretofore to provide motor driven tooth brushes wherein the tufts of the brush are ca rried by motor driven means. Such brushes, while'eiicient, are expensive to manufacture and to maintain in operation. The present invention overcomes these disadvantages and provides a cleaning attachment device of simple construction and operation, and which is adapted to be attached to and driven by the motor of an electric shaver or the like appliance.

It is an object of the invention to provide a motordriven tooth cleaning means in the form of an attachment which is adapted to be drivingly connected through a flexible shaft or cable to a rotary type electric razor.

Another object of the invention is to provide a brushing or cleaning attachment whichis useful asa toilet accessory for cleaning and brushing the teeth, the attachment being connected by a exible shaft or cable to a motordriven shaft of an electric razor. The attachment is designed and constructed whereby it can be easily connected and disconnected from an electric razor or the like motordriven appliance.

Still another object is to provide a power driven teeth cleaning device which can be carried and used as an auxiliary attachment to an electric razor. Diiferenttypes and shapes of cleaning tips, such as may be made of rubber, plastic, fiber or brush bristles are provided, the tips being adapted to be removably Xed to the head portion which is rotated. Such rotatable cleaning tips are suitably shaped and designed to assist in rapidly cleaning the teeth, the cleaning tips being driven to provide a rotary rubbing and scrubbing action.

Other` and additional objects and advantages of the present invention will appear morefully from the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings whichl illustrate how the invention may be used. Y s

FIGURE l depicts'a motor-driven electric rotary-type of razor with the motor-driven tooth-brush attachmentl of this invention operatively connected thereto, the views -being shown partly in perspective and partly in section to better illustrate the construction andl operation ofthe electric toothbrush;

FIGURE 2 is a view in elevation and showing the adapter for attaching the rotary brush to the head of the velectric razor anda driven shaft thereof, the razor-being 3,012,263 Patented Dec. 12, 1961 FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 and taken substantially along the line 6 6, the same being drawn on a reduced scale and illustrating the structure of the adapter looking in the direction of the arrow; and

FiGURE 7 illustrates diagrammatically different types and shapes of the rotary brush heads which may be substituted for the brush shown in FIGURE l.

In the drawings, referring more particularly to FIG- URES 1 through 4 and FIGURE 6, an electric razor of the rotary type and designated 10 is illustrated. The.

razor is equipped with a motor 12 and two laterally spaced driven shafts 13 and 14 which are adapted to drive a pair of disc-shaped cutters mounted in a removable cut- A ter head, not shown, such as employed during use of the razor for shaving purposes.

VFor driving the rotary teeth cleaning attachment illustrated in FIGURE l, the razor cutter head is removed and a rotary brush attachment, generally designated 15, is operatively connected to the motor 12 through a gear assembly 16 and interconnected eXible cable means 17. This cable 17 is connected to a bushing 18 mounted in an adapter 19, the latter comprising an elliptically-shaped casing 20 which is designed to t snugly on the razor head portion 21 and to replace the razorcutter head. Cable 17 comprises acentrally disposed flexible driven shaft 22 which, upon rotation by the motor 12, drives the brush 15 through the bevel gear assembly 23, as illustrated in FIGURE l.

The bushing 18 on the inner end of the liexible driven shaft 22 is retained in a socket 24 of the adapter 19. An enlarged ring 25 on the shaft 22 retains the shaft in the bushing assembly whereby the shaft 22 can be drivingly connected to one of the motor-driven shafts, such as at 14. The innerend of the shaft 22 is provided with an integral gear-tooth receiving portion 26 which is shaped to receive the gear tooth terminal portion 27 of the drive shaft 14 whereby rotation of the shaft 14 by the motor 12 rotates the exible shaft 22 which drives the rotary brush 15.

The adapter 19 comprises a clip 30 which is arranged on one side and directly opposite thereto there is provided a catch or buttonlatch 30a, both of which are integral With the casing portion 31. This construction provides l with groovesV 34a and 34b on the headportion 32 of the illustrate the structure of the adapter and means for at-k razor, and a knob 34 is adapted to engage with a spring member 35 for spring clasping the parts together.

In the embodiment shown, the head of the rotary electric razor is oval shaped, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, and accordingly the adapter head 19 is similarly shaped so as to tit snugly to the head of the razor and be retained thereon during use of the rotary toothbrush 15.

v The adapter and flexible cable and bushing, which form a socket structure 24, as shown best in FIGURE 4, is clamped in the cylindrically shaped casing 37. This socket 24 is suitably riveted to the adapter 19, as shown at 39. For fixedly supporting and retainingithe socket and bushing in position to drivingly connect the end of the cable shaft 22 to the end of the shaft 14 of the razor, arms 41 Aand 42 are provided which extend outwardly from the socket and terminate at their outer ends against the side walls of the adapter being clamped thereto as at 43 and 44, as shown in FIGURE 4. A push button 45 on the razor head portion 32 co-acts with a spring member 47 which engages over the catch or button latch 30a on the casing portion 31. The spring 47 and associated parts together with the clip 30, as described, retain the adapter and socket structure 24 on the electric razor, as described, during use of the teeth cleaning attachment.

When it is desired to disconnect the rotary toothbrush i attaelimet, tle button 45 einay be made of rubber or plastic rriaterialf.

entlyshaped cleaning tips may in FIGURE 4', tnerey releasing the spring 47 from the catch or button latch Stutz. This permits the tooth cleaning attachment to be disconneted from the'heajd of the ror' Vand rm'vd,Y thereby automatically disconnecting Vthe meter-,driven shaft 1ek nos@ tus sentis drive sabre shaft 22 the rotary toothbrush. l P

In FIGUREA 7 Kdifferent typ's and shapes of' rotary tootl cleaning and Brushingtmeans are shown. A circular brush is illustrated r,at 49V arida frnst-co'nical shaped cla'rier member at 50. Similarly at l there isdepictd a triangular 'shapedrrtary cleariiriglr'iier'nbei" and auch as be substituted for the Brush member 15, as shown in FIGURE l, as desired. Fnrthmore, in place of bristles, the cleaning heads or tips as iaforementioned may VbeV formed of sponge rubber, ber,

fine ernery cloth or the like, as desired'. Y

Irl the operationV ofthe rotary brush attachment, an electric razor or rotary appliance having a mmol-driven sdiaft'is kadapted to be disconnected from its cutter or shearing' maris, as`V by removing the cutter head, and the adapter 19 of the attachment fixed thereon'as illustrated in the drawings. The adapter is shaped to t the razor head and is' clamped thereon in like manner as the cutter is pushed inward, as shown,

Snert differvheadrvvhich has' been removed. A flexible cable shaft is iisd tol drive the rotary brush vor cleaner tip means, and e which brush tip is removable for the Asubstitution' `offa differently shaped cleaning tip as described. To facili- 'tate the use of theclean'ing attachment, Yas used for brushd ing and massaging the teeth and gums, or for' brushing made of any desired length.

To control Avthe speed of the Vrotary driven brush or' false teeth and the like dentures, the flexible cable'17 Vis operate more eticaciously.Y Use of a reduction gearing Y assembly, such as illustrated in FIGURE l, makes it possible to reduce the speed of rotation of the shaft driving the rotary brush for proper operationof the toothbrush.l

The toothtcleaning attachment of this invention obviously will be modied as to itsV structure and driving connection as required to accommodate and to fit differentV types of electric shavers and Vmotor-driven appliances; of the V4character described. YFor exampie,in the use of the attachment with a vibratory driven shaft `type electric razor, the same may be connected through suitable means Y arysupport or may be heldin the hand.

'It vWill be understood that this invention isfsusceptible te modiatisli 11.1 @Idar t9 adapt it t9 d iisrsnt usasaand conditions and, accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall Within. the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A dental attachment accessory for electric razors having a motor and a rotary drive shaft'with gear tooth means thereon and driven by said motor, said attachment comprising' a rotary brush actuated by said motor for cleaning the teeth and massaging the gums, an elongated flexible driven shaft connected to said rotary brush, and a fastening means carried at the end of said driven' shaft for detachably fastening said attachment to said appliance, said fastening means comprising Van' adapter Yfor l insertion into said electric razor, said adapter having spring means for clamping engagement with saidrelectrio razor, a socket positioned in said adapter, a plurality v of ,intol said socket and said end portion carrying,` an 'enlarged ring, and a bushing ,surrounding the end'portion of said driven shaft in said socket'whereby said enlarged ring retains said end portion of the driven shaft in said socket, said endf portion of the driven Ashaft having gear tooth means thereon for drivngly connecting the y'correspondingly toothed end of said motor drive shaft therewith.

2. A dental attachment accessory for- .v electric razors having a.l motor, `a rotary drive shaft with gear tooth means thereon'and driven by said motor, and a clip receiving means, said attachment comprising` a rotaryorbrush actuated by said motor for cleaning the .teeth-and massaglng the gums, an elongated ileXible-drivenshaft'connected to said rotary brush, and a fastening means Carried at vthe end of said driven shaft ,for detachably fastening said attachment to s aid appliance,l saidlffastening means comprising an adapter for insertion Vinto Ysaid elec.- tric razor, said adapter having a spring clip for clamping engagement with said clip receiving means in saidV electric razor, a socket positioned in said adapter, a plurality vof arms spacing said socket fromthe inner walls ofthe adapter, the end portion of said driven shaft egtending to translate .the translatory motion of the drive Vshaft into to into said socket ,and said end portion carrying Van enlarged ring, and a bushing surrounding the vend portion of said driven shaft in saidsocketvvh'ereby said enlarged ring retains said end portion of the driven shaft in said socket, said end portion of the V,driven shaft havinggear tooth means thereon for `drivingly connectingthe correspondingly toothed .end of said motor drivey shaft there- -With. Y Y

i :References Citedin thetile of this-patent UNITED stares PATENTS Falconer Sept. 29, 1925.

2,111,713 'Watson' Mar. 22, 1938 2,140,307 Belashk etl al. Dec.,l3, 1938 1 2,183,415 Thomrnier Dec. l2, 1939 2,677,885 Chaud May 11, ,-1954 2,736,048 Gregoire Feb.V 28, 1956 l2,766,470 BakerV Oct. 16, 1956 2,878,499 Pressman; Mar. 24, 1959 

